It Can’t See You in the Dark: A thrilling page-turner for car lovers

During the invasion of Iraq, Saddam’s rare Mercedes disappeared. In this gripping heist novel, Feroze Engineer suggests what might have happened to it.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, September 5, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — Ever pushed a ’58 Bentley S1 Continental to its limits in a warzone, while chased by militants? Or sat in the passenger seat of a ’57 Porsche Carrera as it’s drifted through the streets of Baghdad by an intoxicated dictator’s son? Perhaps you’ve driven a freshly stolen Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato through winding country lanes in the dead of night, headlights off?

If, like most sensible people, you’ve never done any of the above, you may enjoy living vicariously through this newly released contemporary historical thriller, a finalist in the Adventures in Fiction New Voices Competition, highlighted as a “particularly strong contender”.

It has been well-received by initial readers:

• ‘Masterful… a real page-turner!’ – The Spun Yarn

• ‘Fast-paced and suspenseful… a very different sort of heist story’ – Vishad Shanghvi

• ‘I was hooked from Chapter One!’ – Lucy Hamilton

The novel is available for free in Kindle eBook format on Amazon up to Monday, September 9, 2024, 11:59 PM PDT.

Based in the run up to the 2003 US-led invasion, IT CAN’T SEE YOU IN THE DARK is a story that celebrates those who live in the shadows, shatters stereotypes and firmly raises two middle fingers at those who foster conflict, regardless of which side they are on – especially relevant considering the situation in the Middle East today.

Inspired by actual events and based on real characters, the novel is about an anonymous blogger who risks his life to denounce the authoritarian regime in Iraq, as well as the impending Invasion.

As he speaks out from the shadows, the seditious blogger is hunted by the dictator’s powerful and violent son, determined to silence him forever. The despot in question, Uday Hussein, enjoyed absolute power in Iraq and was known for two things – violent sexual depravity, and his quest to build the world’s largest collection of vintage and modern supercars.

In the novel, one particular car – the jewel of the entire collection, catches the attention of Ava – an accomplished car thief living in London.

As the bombs start to fall on Iraq, the blogger and Ava’s paths collide, resulting in an unlikely partnership to save lives and heist one of the most valuable cars in the world.

This work of fiction, based on over ten years of research, describes the car in question – a 1936 Mercedes Benz 540k Special Roadster, with baroque coachwork by Erdmann & Rossi, said to be one of only two ever created.

In those days Mercedes-Benz invented mechanical air compressors which supercharged airplane engines and compensated for the loss of power at high altitudes. When they applied the same technology to their automobile engines, they realised they could reach speeds that had never been reached before.

The technology culminated in the production of the 540k Roadster in 1935, a car that many considered the very pinnacle of pre-war automotive design.

The 5.4-litre engine made it one of the few cars that could exceed 100 miles per hour, having been designed for Germany’s autobahns which were being built at the time. The car also featured safety glass, hydraulic brakes and electric windshield wipers and door locks, which most people have no idea existed in the 1930s.

Part myth, part legend, the car was originally made for King Ghazi of Iraq after the young royal saw a similar car at the Barcelona Car Exhibition in 1935. Unfortunately, the king died shortly after its purchase (ironically in an automotive accident). A few years later, the car fell into Saddam Hussein’s hands when he took over the country following a bloody coup.

Saddam then swapped it for another rare Mercedes, a 770k Tourenwagon, with the King of Jordan, who later returned it to Saddam’s collection. Unknown to most, he also secretly commissioned an exact replica of the car – down to the same bodywork by Erdmann & Rossi.

So what eventually happened to this astronomically valuable car when it fell off the radar during the 2003 US-led invasion? Well, for one account, you’ll have to read this novel.

It Can’t See You in the Dark is available now on Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats:

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DFZ45PYB

US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DFZ45PYB

eBook available for free up to Monday, September 9, 2024, 11:59 PM PDT.

Media Contact Information: For more information please contact Feroze Engineer on [email protected] or +44(0)7935517914

About the Author: Feroze grew up in Mumbai, where he studied Mass Media and worked as an advertising copywriter, before moving to the UK at 20 to study and pursue a career in marketing. Today he lives in North London with his wife and son.

In his spare time Feroze I enjoys jazz, reading thrillers (obviously), and whisky – often at the same time! Other hobbies include cycling and hiking in the English countryside. He is a keen student of the Middle East and enjoys travelling.

Notes:

• The novel has been released on 3 September 2024

• Free eBook offer is valid between Thursday, September 5, 2024, 12:00 AM PDT and Monday, September 9, 2024, 11:59 PM PDT.

• The author was a finalist in the Adventures in Fiction New Voices Competition 2020 when the novel was in development.

• Please let me know if, as a journalist, blogger or book reviewer, you would like a free copy in paperback or eBook format.

Feroze Engineer
Blue Tape Books
+44 7935 517914
[email protected]
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